JBL is proposing to redevelop Rivertowne Square, a shopping center in Deerfield Beach, into a 736-unit mixed-use residential complex built around two eight-story apartment buildings. The project remains in city review; JBL has targeted construction for 2027 if the proposal is approved.
The program, as described in the developer's proposal, calls for 736 total apartments — including 106 deed-restricted affordable units — plus roughly 24,000 square feet of new retail space and two parking garages. The redevelopment would replace much of the existing shopping center while keeping the Winn-Dixie anchor open through the construction period.
The Winn-Dixie commitment is a meaningful signal. Maintaining an active grocery tenant through a major residential buildout requires careful site sequencing and phasing. That JBL is proposing to absorb that complexity rather than temporarily closing or relocating the grocer suggests the anchor is central to the project's retail and financing structure — and likely relevant to the city's calculus on any density concessions tied to the affordable set-aside.
The 106 deed-restricted affordable units are the clearest policy hook in the filing. How Deerfield Beach staff weighs that component against the scale of the residential program — two eight-story buildings on what is currently a shopping center site — will shape both the conditions of approval and the overall timeline. The city review process is active and no approval has been granted.
At 13 acres, Rivertowne Square gives JBL room to work with. Two eight-story apartment buildings with accompanying parking garages on that footprint yields a mid-rise density that is notable for Deerfield Beach without reaching tower scale. The 24,000 square feet of proposed retail is modest relative to the 736-unit residential program, suggesting the new commercial space is designed to complement the Winn-Dixie rather than replace the broader retail function of the current center.
